CHAP. IX. Of repelling, or repercussive Medicines.
* 1.1REpelling or repercussive medicines are cold, and of gross and earthy parts; by which name also astringent medicins are understood, because they hinder the falling down of the humors upon the part. Repercussives are such, either of their nature, and of them∣selves, or else by accident, being not such of their own nature. These which of themselves are such,* 1.2 are of two kindes; for some are watrish and moist, without any astrictive faculty which almost wholly proceeds from an earthy essence; wherefore that faculty of repelling which they possess, they have it wholly from coldness. Of this kinde are lettuce, purslain, sow-thistle, ducks-meat, kidney-wurt, cucumbers, melons, gourds, house-leek, mandrake-apples, night-shade, hen∣bane, and the like, which cool powerfully, and unless they be taken away before the part wax blackish, they extinguish the natural heat. Othersome are of an earthy essence, and therefore astrictive; but yet some of these are hot, othersome cold. Such things as are cold of temper, and of an earthy consistence, are properly and truly termed repellers. Of these some are simple, othersome compound: the simples are plantain, vine-leaves, leaves of roses, okes, brambles, cy∣press, berberries, sumach, all unripe fruits, verjuice, vineger, red wine, the juice of sower pomegra∣nats, acacia, the juice of berberries, and quinces, hypocistis, pomegranat-pils, oke-bark, the flowers of wilde pomgranats, the meal of barly, beans, panick, oats, millet, orobus mixed with juices in form of a pultis, bole-armenick, sanguis draconis, ceruss, litharge, terra sigillata, sullers-earth, chalk, marl, the load-stone, lead, corals, all marchisites, antimony, spodium, true pomphylix, all sorts of earth, and other things of the like nature.
Now compound things are Oleum rosaceum, omphacinum, mirtillorum, papaveris, cydoniorum, nenupharis, unguentum rosatum, album rhasis, campharatum, emplastrum diacalcitheos, dissol∣ved in vineger and oil of roses, desiccativum rubrum, populeon, emplastrum nigrum seu tetrapharma∣cum of Galens description, empl. contra rupturam, de cerusa, pro matrice. All such cold repercussives are more effectual if they be associated with tenuity of substance,* 1.3 either of themselves, or by mixture with some other things: for to this purpose we often mix vineger, camphire, and the like things of subtil parts, which repercussives of gross parts, that they may serve as vehicles to carry in the repercussive faculty. Repercussives of gross parts and hot, are wormwood, centory, gentian, agrimony, savin, coriander, mint, bay-leaves, cardamomes, calamus aromaticus, aloes, spicknard,* 1.4 saffron, nutmeg, cinnamon, amber, salt, alum, coporas, sulphur, oleum absinthinum, mastichi∣num, nardinum, costinum, ceratum, Gal. stomachicum, santalinum, emplastrum diacalcitheos. But such things as repel by accident, are bandages, compressers, linnen-cloths, and rowlers of all sorts, cases, cauteries,* 1.5 blood-letting, cupping, painful frictions in the opposite parts, and other such like things as are properly said to make revulsion. The use of repercussives is to force back the humor which flows from any other place into the part, and thus they mitigate the heat of such inflammation as that defluxion of humors hath caused, yea, oft-times to asswage and help pain, the fever, abscess, malign ulcers, and mortification. Such repercussives must alwaies be so opposed to the disease, that respect may be had to the temper, complexion, and particular nature of the part whereto they are applyed; for all parts cannot equally bear the like force of repercussives, as nervous and other spermatick and cold parts. Furthermore, there are some parts whereunto we may by no means apply repercussives; as the groins, arm-pits, and those glandules or kernels which are be∣hinde the ears and brain, lest the humor should retire back into some of the Principal parts: the like reason is also of bodies; for the bodies of women, children eunuchs, cannot en∣dure so strong repercussives and the like excess of cold as the manly and vigorous bodyes may.